ᴏᴜᴛᴄᴀsᴛ - ᴅʀᴀᴄᴏ ᴍᴀʟғᴏʏ x ᴍᴀʟᴇ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

- ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴏ -

ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀ ᴀʙᴏᴠᴇ ɪs ᴍᴀsᴛᴇʀ ᴍɪʟᴀʀʀᴏᴡ's ᴘᴇᴛ, ᴀᴛᴛɪᴄᴜs.

𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁

(Y/N)

"I told you to stay out of here," he lashed out, leaning down and slapping my cheek.

I didn't know what to say. I wasn't sorry, after all, I'd come in here on purpose. Master Milarrow stood towering in the doorway in his nightcap and gown, his pet chicken in his arms. You couldn't see his chicken's eyes, but if you could, I bet he'd be giving me the "I'm better than you" look. Honestly, it was a ridiculous sight and I'd laugh if I wasn't so scared. 

His long fingers grabbed the neck of my hoodie and yanked me up off the floor and out of the room. He led me up the stairs and to one of the empty guest rooms. Each had the same floor design, so there was nothing special about this one compared to the others. Each had a four post bed, a dresser, a nightstand, and a wardrobe. 

Master Milarrow dragged me towards the wardrobe and I knew what was coming. 

"Please," I begged. "Please, I'll do more work! I'll be good! I swear!" 

I kicked and yelled, black rimming my vision even before I was thrown into the wardrobe. 

"Too late," he answered coldly, shoving me in, closing the doors, and muttering something. 

It was dark and small. I hated this feeling I got in my chest whenever I was in here. I couldn't move.

"Please!" I banged on the doors, on my knees, tears brimming my eyes. "Please let me out!" I put everything I had into banging on the doors. "I promise to listen! Just please! Please open the doors!" 

"P-please!" I couldn't stand it. "Please! I'll be good! I promise! I swear!"

The door did eventually open, letting a small sliver of light in. Master Milarrow looked down on me with a smirk. He laughed and bent down so we were eye level. "Too late for that. You say this every time and you still manage to break your promise. I'll let you out in the morning. Maybe a few hours in here will help you come to your senses."

The door was shut once more and the darkness surrounded me. The tears streamed down my cheeks as the wardrobe started wobbling. Scared to tip the wardrobe on the doors and trap myself forever, I stopped pounding on the wood and kept yelling. 

"Please! I'll do anything else! You can punish me any other way! Just please! Not this!" I cried, my throat becoming sore and my voice becoming quieter. 

Clearing my throat, I squeezed my eyes shut and curled up, hugging my knees to my chest. I wiped at my eyes with my sleeves and tried to imagine I was in a better place. Somewhere safe. But I couldn't. All I could focus on was the darkness around me and the small space I was in. I was trapped. I could barely move. It felt like the walls were taunting me, laughing at my weakness. 

At least I had Dee. I stuck my hand in my hoodie's pocket to reach for him only to find nothing there. How had I not noticed the absence of weight in my pocket? I was alone. In the dark. With nothing but the voices in my head to sneer and laugh at me. 

I tried taking deep breaths to calm myself, but only ended up making it worse. It smelled a lot like cinnamon in here. I grew to hate that smell over the time of being in here. It only reminded me of this stupid wardrobe. 

I pressed my hands against the wall, trying to steady my shaking hands. It was stuffy in here, beads of sweat forming. I didn't know how long I'd been in here, but I wanted out. I wanted to run away and go somewhere far away. Far from this wardrobe, far from this manor, far from Master Milarrow and his stupid chicken. 

I heard the sound of something cracking and my head shot up from where it was resting on my knees. There was a small beam of light coming through a hole in the wardrobe wall. Another chunk of wood went flying off, followed by another. 

Hopeful, I wiggled so I was laying on my back and kicked out at the hole. Each kick was followed by a crack. I winced with every crack and every thud of a piece of wood hitting the ground would make. But right now, my only concern was getting out of this stupid smelly wardrobe. The anxiety and panic from being in here had made me shaky, so my kicks were unsteady and it took longer than it should have to open the hole wide enough for me to climb through, but I eventually did it. 

I squirmed so I was head first out of the hole in the wardrobe's wall, ducking to avoid any of the jagged bits of wood. 

I heard footsteps; quick footsteps. Like someone was running. Before I got my body through the hole, the door swung open to reveal a pissed Master Milarrow. Alarms went off in my head and I panicked, tossing any thoughts of being safe out the window. I started crawling quicker, pulling myself out of the wardrobe and onto the floor. My leg caught one of the pieces of wood and scraped across it, leaving me whimper in pain. 

I looked down to check it. It wasn't too deep and not that long. I'd be fine for now. 

Scrambling so I was standing on my feet, I tried to push past Master Milarrow. Instead, he grabbed my wrist and stopped me, pulling me so I was in front of him. I bit back a whimper. He was gripping my wrist tightly. 

"You never learn your lesson," he spat. "You should be thanking me for letting you live here this long. For three years I've raised you. Clothed you. Fed you."

I tried pulling away but he only tightened his grip, pulling me closer and leaning down until our noses were almost touching. 

"And this is how you repay me? By breaking my belongings and trying to run? If you want to leave this house so badly, go. Get out. When you learn you can't take care of yourself out there, don't come crying to me."

He released my wrist and threw me out into the hallway where I landed on my arse. With a frantic nod, I got to my feet and ran to the basement, speeding down the stairs to grab my few belongings. 

I grabbed a messenger bag and slung it over my shoulder, shoving anything I owned inside. There were only a few books, the picture, and the bit of parchment I'd taken from Master Milarrow's study. 

Taking the steps two at a time back to the ground floor, I searched each floor for Diablo. After a few minutes of searching, I finally found him on the second floor, slithering along the baseboards. 

Hiss.

"We're leaving. He's kicked me out," I told him.

Hissssss.

"I know you didn't like him. But he gave me a place to stay."

Dee slithered up into my outstretched hand and wrapped himself around my arm. I lifted the flap of my messenger bag and let Diablo plop himself inside. Dropping the flap, I left it unbuckled for him and ran to the door, finding it locked. I twisted the first lock and tried the handle again. 

"I thought I told you to leave?" Master Milarrow said behind me, his hands folded across his chest, a smirk on his face. 

"The door is locked...," I mumbled.

"What's that? Speak up. It's rude to mumble."

"The door is locked!" I shouted at him. I was aggravated. He kicked me out and locked the door. To humiliate me further before I leave? Perhaps. 

A quick slap to the face was the only answer as Master Milarrow pushed me aside and took out his twig. He muttered something and pushed the handle down, letting the door swing open.

"Get out."